There is a move to bring Air BnB accommodations into the formal economy

The Air BnB sector of the Antigua and Barbuda tourism market is a vital part of
the industry, but many operators remain outside the formal economy and the
tourism officials are advocating for a change in that regard.
Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Chief Executive Officer, Colin C. James,
said the Air BnB segment of the market in the country is ‘very important’
representing as many as 1,100 rooms. These rooms, he said, range from some
small hotel properties to private individuals who are using their homes for rental.
James noted that many of these properties are not registered, so they are not paying
the required taxes, from which funds go to finance the country’s marketing
campaign.
He noted that during the pandemic, these Air BnB properties were required to
register, as anyone arriving in the country was not allowed to go into any
accommodation that was not registered, inspected, and passed by the health and
tourism ministries. However, since the pandemic ended there has been a fall-off in
the number of registered properties.
He noted that having these properties registered serves several purposes; most
importantly, there is a need for them to be registered so that they can pay the taxes.
In addition, he said the taxes are charged to guests whether or not the property is
registered, and the onus is on the property operator to pay those taxes to the Inland
Revenue Department.
According to the ABTA CEO, in some jurisdictions, there are strong lobbying
efforts to limit the scope of Air BnB, but he is not opposed to their operation here.
All he wants is for them to be registered, pay the appropriate taxes, and adhere to
the established standards set by the Ministry of Tourism.
It was disclosed that there are an estimated five hundred properties listed on the
Air BnB Antigua and Barbuda site, but less than three hundred of these properties
are registered.
The ministry has launched a drive to bring these properties into the formal
economy.